Factors affecting consumer purchase intention for buying solar energy products Arshiya Fathima M.S. and H. Moideen Batcha Department of Management Studies, B.S. Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, India, and Ansari Sarwar Alam Department of Marketing, Universal Business School, Mumbai, India Abstract Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the factors influencing consumers’ intention to purchase solar energy products (SEPs). Design/methodology/approach – The research is based on primary data that has been collected from a total of 351 non-users of SEPs from different cities of Tamil Nadu state (India). Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling have been used to examine the collected data. Findings – Attitude, perceived behavioral control and energy concern variables are significant towards consumers’ purchase intention. However, other variables such as subjective norms and energy awareness were found insignificant. Research limitations/implications – The sample size was chosen based on convenience sampling, and the sample was collected from the different cities in Tamil Nadu. As a result, the outcome may not be representative of the whole population. Respondents’ perspectives in one section of India may differ from those in another. Practical implications – The findings of this study help policymakers, business experts, marketers, social marketers and energy conservation organizations in gaining a better understanding of consumer behavior. Social implications – The outcome of this study will be effective in developing action plans to improve environmental quality through solar products. Originality/value – This study has targeted the potential consumers and identified factors that are influencing consumers’ intention to purchase SEP. Therefore, the study’s findings will add value to SEP companies, government and non-government organizations, marketers, academicians and the research community. Keywords Theory of planned behavior, Energy awareness, Energy concern, Solar energy products, Purchase intention Paper type Research paper Introduction Energy is a critical component for enhancing the quality of life and economic development. As the world continues to expand at a rapid rate, energy consumption has also increased. The amount of solar light that reaches the earth’s surface in a single day is greater than the total amount of energy used in a year (Cosimo, 2018; International Energy Agency, 2013; Kumar et al., 2020a; Pavel and Rajagopal, 2017) therefore effective energy channeling and utilization are essential (Alam and Fathima, 2022). It has been noted from the past review of literature that most rural and urban areas in India are facing energy issues in terms of Solar energy products Received 2 April 2022 Revised 22 May 2022 Accepted 14 August 2022 International Journal of Energy Sector Management © Emerald Publishing Limited 1750-6220 DOI 10.1108/IJESM-04-2022-0002 The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at: https://www.emerald.com/insight/1750-6220.htm